Uni-control apparatus



June 9, 19 31. JONES 1,808,777

UNI CONTROL APPARA TUS Filed Oct. 2, 1926 INVENTOR Lesrer L.Jones ATTORNEY Patented June 9, 1931 PATENT OFFICE" LESTER L. JONES, 0mm mrw J I'IBSIY our-corner. ,nrmrns Application ma Oetgber a, 1020. Serial No. 189,088.

- This invention relates to a uni-control adjusting apparatus, and more particularlyto a uni-control apparatus for controlling mdependently operable adjustable units both simultaneously and independently; and has structed and designed for mechanically coupling the tuning units of the set for simultaneous adjustment and for mechanically uncoupling the tuning units to permit independent ad'ustment of the units.

In tuned ra io receiving systems having one or more steps of radio frequency amplification, there are provided a number of units such as condensers or inductance devices which are independently adjustable for tuning the cascadedvcircuits of the system to a given frequency or wave len h; and when a plurality of steps of radio requency amplification are employed, there are provided three or more suc units whlch have to be independently adjusted by operating so three or more dials for tuning the set. This methodof tuning is disadvantageous, and for ra id and convenient tuning of the set it is ighly desirable "to simultaneously adjust and operate all the units from a single control dial or handle;

These tuned'radio receiving systems are usually designed and constructed so that each of thetuning elements maybe adjusted in like manner practically degree for de- Q'gree over the whole wave length range, rendering possible simultaneous adjustment of all the units In highly selective or/and sharply tuned circuits, however, it has been found extremely difiicult to match the tuning units or/and the cascaded circuits thereof to the high degree of precision necessary for producing sharp tuning or high selecs tivity; and in such circuitsit has been found desirable to provide mechanism for ermit-. ting the independent adjustment of t e tun- .turbance to or modification of the setting aling units for sensitive and acurate tunin purposes after approximate settings 0 the units are produced by simultaneous adjustment thereof. The provision of an im roved a paratus constructed for mechan- 86 ica ly coup ing and uncoupling the tuning units to permit of this simultaneous and independent operation of the same is a prime ob ect of my present invention.

A further prime object of my present invention centers about the provision of a uni-control apparatus for accomplishing the simultaneous and independent adjustment of the tunin units which is characterized by the use 0 a sin le control element opera le for efiectin t e coupling between the tuning units an for efiectin the disconnection or decoupling thereo A correllary object of the invention relates to the provision of a uni-control apparatus of this character in which the said single control element is mounted so as to be axiall shiftable or reciprocable -for efiecting t e coupli%land decoupling functions.

en a given approximate or accurate setting of the dials has'been obtained, it is highly desirable, when the mechanical couhn or uncoupling of the tuning elements 13 e ected, to prevent or minimize any dis- 0 ready produced. It is therefore a further prime object of the invention to provide a control mechanism of the nature referred to in which the unitsmay be linked and unlinked with a minimum disturbance .or change of any previous setting obtained.

An important problem in the design of a serviceable and efiic ient uni-control apparatus is that of linking or coupling the tuning units together in such manner that when the same are-unlinked or disconnected for independent tuning purposes, the tuning elements or circuits of which they form a part should not be accidentally thrown or misadjusted so farout of tune one relative to the-other as to prevent "any signal being- .heard, or in other words, to prevent any such relative displacement between the tuning elements as to render it difiicult to bring these tuning elements back into corresponding positions.

.acute where only a single control dial is as hereinafter more This problem is especially employed and where all of the shafts of the tuning units are within and concealed by the radio casing or cabinet. It is therefore a further principal object of my present invention to so design and construct the unicontrol apparatus as to prevent more than a given displacement of one adjustable unit relative to another adjustable unit so that at all times the tuning ofthe set may be under the control of the operator.

1 To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other,

and sought to be defined in the claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodimen of my invention,-and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the unicontrol apparatus embodying the principles of my present invention and showing some of the parts in cross-section.

Fig. 2 is a View thereof taken in crosssectioin inthe plane of the line 22, Fig. 1, an

Fig. 3 is a .view thereof taken in crosssection in the plane of the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the uni-control apparatus of my inv nectable to'the plurality any conventional manner, the said rotor mounted on vention comprises'in its broad aspects, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units generally designated as A and A and generally designated as B mechanically conof adjustable units in unison and mefrom one or either said adjustable units for independently operating the other of the The independently adjustable units A and A'dmay comprise any suitable apparatus, an nection with radio receiving circuits, the same may comprise tuning condensers a base -support 10 by any suitable means such as the angle brackets 11, 11,

for operating the same chanically disconnectable framework embodying end plates 12, 12 secured together by connecting rods 13, 13, the adjustable element or rotor of the. condenser being represented by the rotor shafts 14, 14 journalled in the end plates 12, 12 in shafts having extensions 14" and 14 mechanically dissociated so as to be capable of independent adjustment and connectable in the manner to be described hereinafter to the operating means B for accomplishing the selective simultaneous. and independent adjustment of the units.

The operating means B comprises a dri ing mechanism 6 mechanically connectable particularly described an operating means therefor adjustable units.

when my invention is employed in con-.

lars 16 and 16 "to the shafts 14 and 14 of the adjustable units, and sets of complemental clutch elements, one set for each of the clutch disks 15 and 15 carried by a driving pulley 17, one set of complemental clutch elements comprising the resilient members 18, 18' carried in cups 19', 19' fixed to elongated mounted for free slidable movement on the rods 21', 21', both rods being fixedly carried by the drive pulley 17, the other set of complemental clutch elements comprising the clutch members'22, 22" carried in cups 23', 23' mounted on the elongated bearing elements 24*,24' also mounted for free sliding movement on opposite ends of the rods 21, 21. All of the clutch elements are held in cooperative relation as shown in Fig. 1 of .the drawings by means of the expansion springs 25', 25' seated between the cups 19' and drive pulley 17 and similar sprin s 26, 26' seated and t e driving pulley 17.

The single control element for shaft 6' comprises a shaft element mounted for slidable or reciprocable movement in bracket supports 27, 27 fixed to the condenser frame, the said shaft having-a control handle (not shown) fixed to the extending end 28 of the control shaft 28, the said shaft being axially shiftable to a plurality of determinable positions, said positions being determined by means of'a spring-pressed ball bearing means 29, the ball bearing 30 of which works in circular notches 31, 31 provided in the shaft 28. The shaft 28 is further provided with a pulley 32 fixed to the shaft,.which pulley is conncted'to the eachof the condensers being mounted in the c drive pulley l7 by means of a cord 33 which between the cups 23 bearings 20, 20' each may be wound once around the pulley 17 and a number of times around the pulley 32, the said cord being preferably kept taut by means of a spring 34 (see-JFig. 2) connecting the ends of the cord. The design and relative dimensions of the pulleys 17 and 32 are such as to produce a motionreducing operation; and the flexible and yieldable connection between the two pulleys is such as to permit rotational operation of the pulley '17 by reduced motion without introducing any undesirable stresses or strains therein.

For moving the driving means 6 to effect the coupling and decoupling operations of 24 when these rods and the drive pulley 17 the adjustable units A and A, the pulley 32 on the single control shaft 1) is provided with the flanges 32', 32' which straddle the drive pulley 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so thatthe axial shifting of the shaft 28 of the single control ele ment produces an axial shifting of the drive pulley 17. This drive pulley 17 is provided with a central hub portion 17' Wl'llCll freely receives at its opposite ends the shafts 14 and 14: of the tunin units for relative supporting purposes. T e axial movements imparted to the drive pulley 17 effect the selective coupling and decoupling connections between the operating means and the shafts of the tuning units b operating in a selective mannerthe sets 0 complemental clutch elements 18' and 22; and this is accomplished/by the provision of the sets of terminal screw elements 35', 35' and 35 35 threaded to the ends. of the rods 21, 21, the heads of these screw elements being adapted to engage the outward ends of the elongated clutch bearings 20', 20' and 24,

to which they are fixedly attached are moved in one or the other direction.

With the last-recited construction it will be seen that with'the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the sets of complemental clutch elements 18', 18C and 22, 22', are in engagement with the clutch disks 15' and 15 so that rotation of the uni-control shaft 28 produces a simultaneous adjustment 'of the tuning units A and A. When, however, the shaft 28 is shifted one notch to the right viewing the same from'aFig. 1,the drive pulley 17 is correspondingly shifted and the screw heads 35, 35' engage the ends of the clutch element bearings 20, 20 and effect the declutching of complemental clutch elements 18, 18'

from the clutch disk 15; and with the parts in this osition the tuning unit A ma be adjusted independent of the tuning unit A by rotation of the control 'shaft 28,. since in this position the clutch elements 22' and 15 are in connecting or clutching en age-' ment. For adjusting the tuning unit dependently of the tuning such adjustment be desired, the control shaft 28 is moved one notch to the left from the position shown in Fig. 1, such movement effecting the disengagement of the compleclutch disk 15, freeing or uncoupling the shaft 14 of the tuning unit A. In this manner axial shifting of a single control shaft may be employed for producing a simultaneous tuning or adjustment of the units or an independent tuning oradjustment of either one of the units.

With this described construction it will furthermore be seen thatfafter producing an independent adjustment subsequent to a siunit A should mental clutch elements 22', 22' from thetained. The parts are, moreover, constructed so that any lon itudinal or axial stresses produced are insut cient to disturb the prior settin arrived at.

' As eretofore mentioned, it is a further object of my present invention to so design and construct the uni-control apparatus as to prevent more than a given displacement of one adjustable unit relative to another adjustable unit, this so as to obviate an accidental throwing of one unit so far out of tune relative to another unit as to prevent any signal being heard. This I accomplish by the provision of means fo'r limiting the relative motion between the driving parts of the operating means I; and the tuning unit from which the driving means is disconnected at any time. In the preferred construction this motion limiting means comprises arcuate slots 36, 36 in the clutch disk 15 and similar slots.37,'37 in the clutch disk 15 through which slots the clutch bear ings 20, 20 and 24', 24 respectively project, the ends of the slots cooperating with the rod ends of the clutch bearings to limit the rotative motion of the driving means 6 relative to either of the clutch disks 15 or 15 when the driving. means is declutched therefrom. In this way neither of the tuning units can be displaced from the other to an extent which will prevent the signal being heard, and by this means I am therefore enabled to have the tuning units always under the control of the operator, the same being rendered fool proof although such tuning units are capable of the simultaneous coarse adjustment and the independent fine adjustments desired.

Q The manner-of making, using and operating the uni-control system'of my presentinvention and the man advantages thereof will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent that while I have shown. and described my invention in the referred able to the plurality of adjustable units for 2. A uni-control radio apparatus com rising, in combination, a plurality of axially alind adjustable tuning units, an operating means therefor mechanically connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from one of said adjustable units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units,

a single controLshaft', the said control shaft being movable to effect the said connection of the operating means with and disconnec: tion of the same from the said adjustable units. 7

3. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units having axially alined me-. chanically disconnected shafts, an operating means therefor mechanically connectable to the plurality of alined shafts for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from either of said shafts for independently operating the other of the said shafts, and a single control shaft connected to the operating means for moving the same, the said control shaft being axially shiftableto effect the said connectionof the operating means with and disconnection of the same fromvthe said adjustable shafts.

4. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units, an operating means there for mechanically connectable to the plurality' of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable fromlone of said adjustable units for independently operatin the other of the adjustable units, means 5 I relative motion between the operating means and the disconnected unit to prevent more than a given displacement of one adjustable unit relat ve to the other adjustable unit,

- said operating means including a single contherefor mechanically trol element movable to effect the connect1 on of the operating means ,with and the disconnection of the same from the said adjustable units.

5. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units, an operating means connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectablc from either of said adjustable said operating meansin'cluding a motion reducing mechanism andor limiting the units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units, means for limiting the relative motiop between the operating means and either of the disconnected units to prevent more than a given displacement of one adjustable unit relative to the other adjustable unit, said operating means including a single control element movable to effect the connection of the operating means with and the disconnection of the same from the said adjustable units.

6. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units, an operating means therefor having clutch elements mechanically connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectalile from one of said adjustable units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units,

means for limiting relative 'rotative motion between the operating means and the disconnected unit to prevent more than a given displacement of pne adjustable unitjrelative to the other adjustable unit, said operating means including a motion reducing mechanism and a single control shaft axially movable to effect the connection of the operating means with and the disconnection of the same from the said adjustable units.

7. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in

combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units and an operating means therefor mechanically connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from one of .said adjustable units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units, said operating meanscomprising a clutch element fixed to the shaft of one of the adjustable units, a complemental clutch element, means connecting the complemental clutch element to another of the adjustable units, a single control shaft, and motion-reducing mechanism connecting the single control shaft with the complemental clutch element movable by movement of said control shaft for operating the clutch elements.

8. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units and an operating means therefor mechanically connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from either of said adjustable units for independently operating. the other of the adjustable units, saidoperating means comprising a clutch'element fixed tothe ments movable by movement of said control shaft for selectively operating the clutch elements.

,trol shaft wi element movable 'in 'said up'its for independently o motion com rising a clutch sha t in combination, a plur iyadjustable units and ere the same in umson and mechanically 9. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units and an operating means therefor mechanically connectableto the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from one of said adjustable units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units, said operating means comprising a clutch element fixed to the shaft of one of the adjustable units, a complemental clutch element, a single control'shaft, mechanism connecting the single control shaft with the complemental clutch element movable by movement of said con- ,troPshaft for operating the clutch elements and means for limiting relative rotational between the clutchelements to prevent more than a given displacement of one adjustable unit relative to the other adjustable unit.

10. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plurality of independently adjustable units and an operating means therefor mechanically connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from one of said adjustable units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units, said operating means element fixed to the of one of the adjustable units, a complemental clutch element means connecting the complemental clutch element to another of the adjustable units, a single controlshaft mecha zism connecting the single con:

h the complemental'clutch element movable by movement of said control shaft for operating the clutch elements, and means for limitin relative rotational motlon between the c utch elements to prevent more than a given displacement of one adustable 'unit relative to the other adjustable umt, said motion limit means comprising a slot in the shaft iiliitch element and a rod'carried by the complemental clutch shaft for selectively operating the clutch elements, arid means for limiting relative motion between the complemental clutch elements of each unit to prevent more than a given displacement of one adjustable unit relative to the other adjustable unit.

12'. A uni-control apparatus comprising, in combination, a plura ity of independent- 1 ad'ustable units and an operating means there or mechanically connectable to the plurality of adjustable units for operating the same in unison and mechanically disconnectable from either of units for independently operating the other of the adjustable units, said operating means com rising a clutch element fixed to the sha t of each of the adjustable units, complemental clutch elements for each of the shaft clutch elements, a single control shaft, motion reducing mechanism connecting the single control shaft with the complemental clutch elements movable by movement of said control shaft forselectively o erating the clutch elements, and means for 'mitin relative motion between the complementa clutch elements ofeach unit to prevent more than a given displacement pf one adjustable unit relative to the other adjustable unit.

Signed at New York City, ofNew York and State of New York this th day of September A. D. 1926.

- ESTER L. JONES.

11. A um-control. ap aratus comprising,"

an o rati means conn d tabl to' the units for operating disof said-adjustable or. mechanicall plurality of adjustabl connectable from either the adjustable units, said operating means comprisin a clutch element fixed to the shaft of eac of the adjustable units complemental clutch elements for each 0 the shaft clutch elements, 'a single control shaft, mechanism connecting the single con: tj glshaft with the complemental clutch elementsniovabieby movement of'said control a ity of independent- Q said adjustable in the county operating the other I 

